(Poppies; collage and ink sketch, ca. 9x9cm.)
One of the benefits of having a blog - I thought optimistically a few weeks ago - was that it would give me a little external incentive to actually sit down and write. Regularly. With a certain amount of discipline. And routine. My goal - knowing myself somewhat after these four decades we've spent together - was to post every three days. A post every day was not going to happen. Neither was a post every other day. But I like the number three and I thought that it would be possible for me to actually meet the goal of writing a post every three days.
(Crow; collage and ink sketch ca. 9x9cm.)
Not so. Time is slippery; like a well-oiled eel. Before I know it, a week, or ten days, or more have passed without a posting. It's not that I haven't been writing. In fact, I think that having this blog is helping me to stick to my other writing goals: 25 pages per week on the latest draft of a middle grade reader novel I'm working on, and one new short story each month. That's working.
(Abstract I; collage with Japanese, Indian, and Italian papers ca. 9x9cm.)
But my blog. I think that part of the problem is the same one I have with writing letters back to people. There is the desire to craft something thoughtful and well put together, something which the other person will really enjoy receiving. But then I am daunted. Do I have the time and energy to do such a thing just now? Maybe I'd do a better job a little bit later today. Or tomorrow. Or in a week, or ten days, or more. See how easily it happens?
(Queen Anne's Lace; collage and ink sketch on 12x12 canvas)
At least while I've been neglecting my blog, I have been busy working in a new direction with my painting, which is in fact not painting at all. As with my leather journals a couple of weeks back, I thought I'd make use of all of this gorgeous paper I've been hording for years now, and actually make something with it. Getting ready for Christmas, I thought I'd work on small collages - some with and some without little ink drawings (which I so love doing!)
That's been fun, but I missed my blog. So here I am. Climbing back on the wagon again and promising myself not to so negligent. We'll see.